From Fall 2016 Print Edition, “Transitions” “How does a professional drug dealer end up with a PhD, teaching at UCLA? Israeli-born, Professor Adi Jaffe went from selling drugs to a well-respected statistics professor in the UCLA psychology department.” According to…
Pluralism and the Jewish Community
From Fall 2016 Print Edition, “Transitions” In our era, different societies and communities worldwide advocate pluralism heavily. Pluralism is a uniquely modern idea, in which a society allows — or even encourages — the coexistence of more than one system…
The End of Nietzsche: God Is Not Dead, But Undead
From Fall 2016 Print Edition, “Transitions” “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.” Friedrich Nietzsche is most memorialized in popular philosophy by this catchy, contentious extract from The Gay Science, published in 1882. For all of…
The Changing Middle East and its Implications for Israel
From Fall 2016 Print Edition, “Transitions” If you’ve been following the news in the Middle East, you have probably noticed a popular trend in the region — instability. Since the 2010 eruption of the Arab spring in Tunisia, political unrest…
An Exhibit of Our Past: The Jews of Boyle Heights
Most of us are familiar with Los Angeles’ Jewish-inhabited areas, including La Brea, Fairfax, and Pico-Robertson. These neighborhoods house multitudes of kosher restaurants, markets, and shops. However, most Jews who live in Los Angeles are not aware of how the…
Taste of Torah: Two Approaches to Life
Looking for some productive procrastination? Check out Rabbi Dr. Tal Sessler’s piece on this past week’s parashah, Toldot.
The Hanukkah Story Your Rabbi Forgot to Mention
As wintertime rolls around again, the most universally celebrated Jewish holiday —Hanukkah — will begin. When the average Jew is asked about the historical events leading up to this beloved holiday, he will claim the classic Jewish holiday line: “An…
Trumpflation, the Student Debt Bubble and Jewish Socioeconomics
The election of Donald Trump surprised a vast majority of pollsters and pundits, with many predicting that Trump had a mere 15% chance of winning prior to the election. Many were shocked at Trump’s success due to the huge swaths…
Persian Jewish Life at UCLA: A Reflection
At UCLA, Bruins are encouraged on a daily basis to familiarize themselves with their origins so as to better understand how their identities were formed and have shaped their lives. Persian Jewish Bruins are no exception to this campus phenomenon.…
Praying With our Feet: Jewish Activism in the Age of Trump
Growing up as an active member of Jewish youth groups and continuing my involvement through Jewish campus groups at UCLA, I have always been fascinated by the history of Jewish activism in America. Practically every American Jewish institution these days…